Date: October 12, XXXX
Time: 6:34 p.m.
Location: UA Campus
Hands scratching at his scalp impatiently, Bakugo flips the page again, scanning and scanning for anything helpful in the notes scribbled in the margins or on the paper itself. Anything that rings a bell, or sets off an alarm in his mind, or that clicks together in his brain like two magnets.
But, nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Like the magnets are repelling each other.
Bakugo flips the pages again, staring at the burning white paper with heavy eyes, his mind begging him to rest for even a moment, or to take a break, or something.
Anything.
If only he could find a lead, something for him to hold onto that might lead him in the right direction. Bakugo lets out a loud yawn, though his brain doesn't register the motion or noise from the lack of energy, rest, and food weighing heavily on his body and motivation.
How long has it been since he's gotten a full night of sleep?
A couple days?
A week?
A month?
Bakugo doesn't care how long it's been, flipping the page again, the sound being the only noise other than his breathing in his entire dorm. The curtains that cover the balcony doors are closed tight so no light can come in and distract him, leaving Bakugo in his own world with no concept of time. It could be late morning, midafternoon, or 3 a.m. for all he cares, turning to the next page of your file.
At this point, Bakugo isn't sure how many long nights he has lost to looking through these papers, neglecting sleep in favor of searching for clues.
Flipping the crisp, white paper again, a picture of you in your hero costume pops up on the page.
You're not smiling, just blank-faced and standing to the side of where most of the heroes were gathered. It's the last photo taken of you before you disappeared, just before the mission where you vanished into thin air without a trace.
Well...they found two pieces of evidence since then. Your knife, which now lays on Bakugo's nightstand, freshly polished and well taken care of, and the slight traces of Chloroform found on the walls of a room inside the warehouse. All of the indicators needed to tell that you were taken, and not out on your own mission right now.
The thought lays heavily on his mind like a blanket of fog, making all of Bakugo's other movements seem secondary and robotic compared to how confidently he used to hold himself. Bakugo used to have his head held high, eyes burning with competitive passion, and his back straight and stance threatening. Bakugo has always been one of the top three students in Class 3-A, and despite everything that has happened, he still is.
But now, Bakugo's eyes are unfocused and bleary, his stance is stiff and wound up like he'll explode from stress at any moment, and his head faces the ground with his gaze set at his feet. His every movement seems unsure and hesitant like he might miss something but he isn't sure what it is. The Bakusquad has tried to get him out of his room for weeks now, trying to get him to smile or...do anything at this point except stare at your file.
He goes over it every day, at least twice, in hopes something will just...click. But, that's not how cases work and without a proper hero license or permission to go out into the city, this is all he can do to help find you.
It has been nineteen days since you disappeared.
Nineteen days.
Sixteen hours.
Forty-six minutes.
Bakugo has kept track of the time since he was told you were missing, but time itself has become weird to him. How has it already been almost twenty days since you disappeared?
It didn't feel like that long.
It's felt like a lot longer than twenty days without you by his side, but at the same time not nearly that long.
A faint knock on his door sounds through the wood, finally breaking Bakugo out of his spiraling mind full of fog. He just sits there, hoping whoever it is will go away and leave him to his work. But, another knock follows the first one only a couple seconds later. Whoever it is must know he's not asleep, and probably won't leave until he answers.
With a sigh, the desk chair creaking as he stands up, Bakugo makes his way toward the door. The knob is smooth and chilled in his hand as he grips it and turns. With a 'click', the door swings open to show two of his annoying classmates, Icyhot and Shitty Hair.
"What?" Bakugo grunts, face blank and cold as he stares the two of them down.
They look at each other as soon as the door opens, both taking note that Bakugo obviously hasn't slept or showered in a couple of days. The blond-haired boy doesn't take notice of their glances, just sighing and going to slam the door since neither of them said anything.
They can't waste his time like this, not when you're missing and he has to do everything in his power to find you.
Kirishima yelps and curses as he notices the door closing quickly, lunging for the edge of the wood panel and hardening his hand as it slams against the wooden door frame. Bakugo groans, glaring at both of them as the door is pushed back open by his red-haired friend.
Annoying pests.
"What?" Bakugo snaps, just wanting to go back to looking at your case in peace.
"When was the last time you ate?" Todoroki steps in, leaning against the door so that the agitated male can't slam it again.
Bakugo sighs, rubbing his forehead and adjusting the hearing aids in his ears. "I don't know. It doesn't matter anyway," He tells them, giving them one last glare and reaching for the door again.
Todoroki stands firmly in his way, back against the door as he keeps it open and pressed against the wall. With one look at both of their faces, Bakugo knows they aren't going to leave until they get what they want from him. Whatever that is.
Kirishima and Todoroki share another look before the long-haired male starts to take another step inside the room. "You need to eat," He says, grabbing tightly onto one of Bakugo's wrists before he can back away, "She wouldn't want you to neglect your health like this."
Bakugo growls, managing to wrangle his wrist from Kirishima's hold with a snarl in his direction, only for both males to lunge for his arms a second later to wrestle him down. Right now, there aren't many things that can phase Bakugo in his foggy state of mind, but that, talking about you, is definitely one of them.
"You need to take care of yourself!"
"SHUT UP!!"
The blond-haired male steps back until he's right next to his desk, gathering all of the papers on your case in one, swift motion with his hand. Then, he dodges as Todoroki attempts to grab his right bicep and sidesteps Kirishima's attempt at snagging his left arm. Planning on losing them in the halls before hiding on the roof to review your file, Bakugo runs past both of them and into the halls of the Class 3-A Heights Alliance. He passes Kaminari, who screeches as he drops his Capri Sun on the floor and cries silently.
The other two are right on his heels, able to keep up with their sleep-deprived and malnourished classmate.
"Bakugo! C'mon man, we just want to help you!! This isn't healthy!" Kirishima shouts at him, almost getting the back of his shirt before Bakugo turns a sharp corner and the redhead smacks right into the wall instead with a yelp.
Todoroki sighs, pushing hard off of his foot and lunging to tackle Bakugo to the ground. He's successful, hurrying to pin the male underneath him so he can't run away again. Todoroki is careful to move the papers on your case out of the way, knowing that if anything happened to them, Bakugo would likely go berserk and destroy everything in sight.
A second later, Kirishima catches up to them, a red spot on his forehead from where he smacked into the wall. Bakugo wriggles in Todoroki's grip, shouting and trying to escape from his hold and run away again.
"LET ME GO YOU FUCKING BASTARD! IF YOU DON'T I'LL FUCKING BLAST YOUR FLAT ASS!!!"
"BAKUGO! We just want you to eat!"
"Calm down."
Kneeling to the floor, Kirishima grabs onto Bakugo's shirt, using it to keep him down as he tries to headbutt them in the nose. He tries to shift out of their grips, even threatening to use his explosions on them but Todoroki chills his hands so he can't produce enough sweat to do so.
Slowly and with a lot of wrestling and curse words, the two boys manage to get Bakugo off the ground and thrown over Kirishima's shoulder. They start trudging toward the elevator, Todoroki having to help keep Bakugo pinned over Kirishima so that he doesn't take off again. It's like trying to wrestle a toddler to take a nap.
By some miracle, the two manage to get downstairs with Bakugo still with them, everyone's attention shifts toward them as Bakugo's uncivilized curses fill the entire bottom floor. Midoriya and Uraraka sigh sadly as they see Bakugo slung over the redhead's shoulder and wriggling around to get free. Midoriya leaves his spot at the dinner table, jogging over to join the three of them.
"Hey, Kacchan! Ready for dinner?" Deku tries to ask but is cut off by a crude string of curses.
"SHUT IT YOU UGLY DAMN FUCKING NERD! LET ME GO SHITTY-HAIRED PIECE OF SHIT!! AND GIVE ME BACK MY FUCKING PAPERS!"
Todoroki sighs, holding out the files in his hand towards Bakugo as Kirishima finally lets him down. He glares at all three of them, who watch his every move intently so that if Bakugo tries to make a run for it, they can grab him before he makes it too far. He immediately lunges for the papers on your disappearance, but at the last second, Todoroki pulls away.
Bakugo frowns, growling at the male as he tries to tackle him back to make up for earlier. Unfortunately for him, Kirishima grabs him by under his armpits and holds him back from killing the Icyhot Bastard.
"Give them back!" Bakugo growls, ripping himself from his friend's hold with a scowl.
The half n' half male doesn't bother to pretend to be threatened, showing the papers to him again but speaking before Bakugo can make another move to grab them. "If you promise to go eat dinner with us, then I'll let you have them back," Todoroki tells him, holding the file up and dangling it in front of Bakugo's face.
"And if I don't?"
"Then I'll burn them."
Todoroki is blunt, holding his other hand out and willing a flame to appear in his palm. Bakugo's face instantly pales as he tries to snatch the file away before the tip of the flame can touch it. All of the notes and info he's written on those files over the last few weeks could be gone in seconds. Naturally, Todoroki dodges and holds the papers closer to the fire, a silent threat if Bakugo doesn't comply.
The blond's head moves to face the ground, fists clenched at his side as he lets out a deep, stressed breath. Slowly, he looks back up, glaring as he nods his head to their terms.
"F-fine."
Todoroki nods, extinguishing the flame and putting the files behind his back but promises to give them to him as soon as he gets his plate. Kirishima has to guide Bakugo to the kitchen as if he's never been there before, Midoriya patting his back while the blond is stuck in his fog-filled mind now that things have calmed down around him.
Bakugo's plate is filled for him; then he's set at a table with Todoroki, Midoriya, and Kirishima gathering around him; and they all stare at him silently, waiting for him to take the first bite. He glances down at the food, eyes hazy as he picks up the fork and stabs it into the meat. Slowly, he lifts the utensil to his mouth and takes a bite. Bland. Or, it's just how numb he feels.
A moment later, Todoroki gives him back the files, and Bakugo starts to flip through them as he eats his dinner. It's the first full meal he's had in a while, so the smile on Kirishima's face must be from the fact that he's finally taking care of himself, even if it's just a little.
Baby steps.
Bakugo eats in silence, scanning over the papers on your case that has notes and theories scribbled in the margins. Most of them are outlandish and stupid, but that's all he has right now, guesses. He has to pause for a moment every time a picture of you pops up. There's the one from your hero biography profile, your citizen profile, and the last photo of you taken.
That's the one with you in your hero costume, arms crossed over your chest, and leaning against the side of a prisoner transfer truck. The photo was taken by an overly energetic intern from Neoform's agency who was also there, the young kid was excited to see all of his favorite pro heroes and started taking pictures on his phone. That photo ended up being the last documented piece of evidence they have on your location.
The blond-haired boy didn't even notice as his hand drops, fork resting on the ceramic plate as he stares blankly at the photo.
You look so...relaxed.
Completely at ease and without a care in the world, the knives hanging from the belt around your hips are identical to the one stashed in his room for safekeeping. Your head is tilted back towards the sky, no doubt full of stars at that late hour and the tiniest hint of a smile on your face. One so small only him or anyone close to you would be able to recognize it.
It's hard for Bakugo to imagine you smiling only hours before you were taken to who-knows-where. Gone with barely a trace, and only because the villain who did it wouldn't have had time to clean up after themselves before more heroes might have shown up.
Suddenly, Bakugo jolts as a hand is placed on his shoulder, whipping his head around to glare at the redheaded male.
"What?" He snaps, picking up his fork and taking another bite before they could think about taking the files from him again.
Kirishima shakes his head with a sad smile, tightening his grip on Bakugo's arm reassuringly. "Relax man, just wanted to see if you're okay. You zoned out a bit."
They lock eyes, one gaze heated and frustrated, while the other is calming and worried. It's weird to think their eyes are so similar, yet their gazes can feel so much different.
"I'm fine."
"You don't seem fine," Kirishima cuts in with a whisper, stopping Bakugo from leaving as he tries to stand with his empty plate in hand, "And no one expects you to be either, I'm still not okay after all of this."
The emotion in Kirishima's ruby red eyes, worry, guilt, sadness, and...and strength. Bakugo beats himself up internally for forgetting that your disappearance isn't only affecting him, it affects everyone you are close to. Shitty Hair, Icyhot, Deku, the rest of the Bakusquad, All Might, Dorian, and all of your pro hero friends.
They all are suffering because of this.
They are all looking for you.
Bakugo pauses, bangs covering his eyes until he shifts, just enough to meet Kirishima's gaze under the shadows of his spikes.
"Thanks," He whispers, pulling himself away from the table with your papers tucked under his arm.
Afterward, the three males force him to take a bath, claiming he smelled like shit, and made him change into a fresh pair of clothes. Naturally, Bakugo tried to blow them up the entire time, yelling curses that would have made you proud. It took all three of them to keep him down and Todoroki even had to freeze the door to keep Bakugo from escaping.
When that hell was finally over, Kirishima walked him to his room, the papers in a neat stack, and held tightly in his hands, wishing Bakugo goodnight before leaving to go in the room next to his.
Bakugo takes a second to stand in the doorway of his room, your room too with how often you stay together, and stare at all of the little things you left behind. Proof that you existed, here, and that you have a home to come back to when he finds you. The pile of chipped and cracked knives on his dresser, the closet full of both yours and his clothes, the picture frames on his nightstand of the two of you together, and the dinosaur plushie Mina got you as a joke that lays sadly on the floor.
He threw it on one of the first nights after your disappearance, since he couldn't stand to look at it and all of the memories that came with the damn thing.
Like all of the times you two would argue about the stupidest little things, and your stubborn ass wouldn't apologize, and neither would he. So, you would cuddle with that plushie instead of Bakugo until he apologized or you got tired of it and gave in. The thing always annoyed the crap out of him, but you loved it so much that you wouldn't let him throw it out.
You were always using it to make him jealous too.
The boy lets out a sigh, walking into the room as quietly as possible and with his gazes set on the green dinosaur toy. Gosh, you were always a bratty child at heart. Bakugo drops the files onto his dresser silently, picking up the dinosaur and holding it close to his chest. He buries his face in it as he throws himself on the bed, keeping it close to him as he curls into a ball on top of the sheets.
Your strawberry, coconut scent lingers on the plushie, making Bakugo bury his face further into the soft fabric. No wonder you loved this thing so much, it's comfortable as hell. He takes a deep breath, his only way to imagine you're next to him and that he's cuddling you instead of a stupid children's toy. If you could see him right now, you'd probably laugh your ass off at him and tease him endlessly for the rest of your lives.
Bakugo would be okay with that.
As long as you came home and he knew you were safe and happy.
His eyelids grow too heavy to open, his breathing evening out as the weight of several nights without sleep weighs down on him. As much as he hates it, Shitty Hair was right about you wanting him to take care of himself. So, he'll let himself rest. Even if only for one night.
And, in the morning he'll check your case before class, skip breakfast, and silently work through another school day with the rest of those idiots.
Worry.
Anger.
Frustration.
And repeat.
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Just a quick reminder, (I haven't seen any yet, but I want to stop it before it happens) I do not allow sexual or sex-related comments on my story. They are not necessary and there isn't any sexual content in my books anyway.
Please be respectful of my wishes and do not comment those types of things. Thank you Dumplings! ❤︎